Sanyi

Sanyi Township is located on the south end of northern Taiwan's Miaoli County. The area is quite mountainous, and the nature of the soil belongs to high acid clay that is suitable for the growing of tea trees and camphor woods.

People in Sanyi have long found that the whole countryside is covered with pieces of dead camphor wood. They are in all kinds of strange shapes and sizes, having been polished by wind and rain for long periods of time. Throughout the years, local artists have perfected their skills in turning these pieces of dead wood into beautiful natural sculptures. The Japanese pay high attention to these art works and have brought considerable prosperity to the woodcarving industry in Sanyi.

The woodcarving industry has been thriving in Sanyi for more than a hundred years. Today, more than half of the town's residents are still engaged in woodcarving-related professions. There are many woodcarving stores here. Walking around the town, visitors can hear the sound of rat-tat and ding-ding from the local residents who are working on their compositions.

Visitors cannot afford to miss the famous Sanyi Woodcarving Museum, which was established in 1995. Another attraction here is the local special Hakka food and snacks.

Here are some interesting articles to read:

• 2005 Sanyi Wood Carving Festival (October 7, 2005)
• "Made in Taiwan" and proud of it (June 14, 2003)